


Take It Slow

by smittenbritain



Series: Battle Buddies AU [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Battle Buddies AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 11:34:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12210474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenbritain/pseuds/smittenbritain
Summary: Since they’d gotten together, it had never really occurred to Jeremy that he might lose Ryan like this. He hadn’t thought about it - hadn’twantedto think about it.Trying hard not to tremble, Jeremy raised his gun. “I’m gonna get you out of here, Ryan.”





	Take It Slow

Due to the very nature of their job, the Battle Buddies had some time to settle into their new relationship before they were really called to action again. Admittedly, Jeremy had kind of hoped that it would be the case, even though he truly loved fighting by Ryan’s side.

There was just one quick mission with the drone, and then there was a short period of just… nothing. No jobs were really suited to their strengths, so it ended up being a short - but lucky - vacation.

Jeremy spent most of it at Ryan’s apartment.

It so quickly became a safe haven for them. Jeremy felt so at home after that first night together; at first, Ryan would invite him over when they were leaving work, but soon the question wasn't necessary. There were odd nights that Jeremy would spend at home - sometimes still with Ryan - but it was more common to have a date night at Ryan’s. Given that he’d spent longer with the agency, it was just a little bit better than Jeremy’s place: he had a nicer view and Jeremy swore it was a little bigger, too.

Not that that mattered much when his attention was directed elsewhere. The view of Ryan under him in bed, head tossed back as he moaned, was all he really cared about.

They’d had time to get to know each other and settle into the more domestic side of their relationship, and Jeremy was sure that their new bond would only strengthen the one they had in the field. When the opportunity finally came along to test it, he was actually looking forward to being out again. The training exercises they went through to stay sharp were never quite as good as the real thing.

The briefing was quick - they went from no duties to a full plate simply by walking into the agency’s building that morning. By midday, they were geared up and heading out by helicopter.

There wasn’t much time to talk on the way in, but Ryan sneakily took his hand and squeezed it hard enough to be felt through their thick gloves.

* * *

“This is a shit insertion point,” Jeremy muttered.

They stared down a stairwell, Jeremy looking decidedly grumpy under his helmet. It was dark and gloomy outside already - night had fallen on the way over, and fog had settled, too. Inside the battered building, Jeremy could hear clattering and shouting that was just a little too muffled to be understood. Their stolen equipment was somewhere in there, but it was likely that they’d have to clear the whole building to find it.

He felt Ryan come up behind him; his boyfriend gave his shoulder a firm pat. “It’ll be fine,” he assured him. “We always make it work. Here.”

Ryan crouched down, pulled something from his belt, and set it on the ground. With a little bit of fiddling, it zipped off through the slight gap under the door - Ryan was using his drone. Jeremy hunkered down next to him and peered over his shoulder to see what was up.

There were a lot of people in there. They counted up to somewhere in the high twenties. Clearly, these guys were prepared for an attack too, judging by the barbed wire all over the place.

The moment they crept inside, it kicked off.

The loud crack of a shotgun echoed down the hallway, and before they knew it they were already fighting. Someone got lucky and bounced a flash around their corner; Ryan managed to shield his eyes in time, but it caught Jeremy by surprise, leaving him blind for a few long moments.

There was a ringing in his ears as he blinked hard to try and recover his vision, but he wasn’t too worried. Ryan had yanked him back around the corner so he wasn’t exposed, and a grunt from down the hallway told him that Ryan had found his mark anyway. By the time he could see again, the hallway was empty.

“Thanks,” Jeremy breathed. “That fucking sucked. I hate flashes.”

Ryan grimaced in agreement. “Hopefully they don’t have any more.”

They had barely progressed further before Jeremy had to change the shield on his gun. It had served its purpose, at least, and protected his face as he leaned around corners to shoot, but it had quickly cracked and then shattered. Jeremy only wished that it could have lasted longer, because this was his only replacement. In minutes, there was already another split in the screen.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long to clear the bottom floor. Carefully, they made their way up the stairwell to tackle the next one. Jeremy had no idea how many bad guys were left.

It all started to go downhill when Jeremy set off an explosion.

It was a purposeful one - he'd intended to break into the ground floor from above - but it didn't go quite as planned.

Ryan yelled in shock (which was probably Jeremy’s fault too, he’d forgotten to mention that he’d put down a bomb) and it left him jittery. When Jeremy dropped down into the room below and was stunned with another flash, Ryan followed quickly, and he stumbled with the landing.

Jeremy heard the sharp crack of a gun, and Ryan’s pained gasp.

His partner dropped to his knees next to him, moaning as he clamped down on a bullet wound. Jeremy couldn’t quite see where it was from here, but his heart leaped up into his throat as he choked out, _“Ryan!”_

He was across the room from him, too far for Jeremy to grab while there was still fire. Ryan turned his head towards him; the bit of his face he could see under his mask was pale.

“The equipment,” Ryan said firmly. “Get it first, I’ll be okay-”

“You’re fucking _bleeding_ , Ryan-”

“The mission,” he said, interrupting Jeremy. “You secure it, then we get reinforcements. I’ll be fine, I’ll make it.”

It felt like fear was paralysing him for a moment, and he was pretty sure he’d be too shaken to act if Ryan hadn’t been urging him on. Since they’d gotten together, it had never really occurred to him that he might _lose_ Ryan like this. He hadn’t thought about it - hadn’t _wanted_ to think about it.

Trying hard not to tremble, Jeremy raised his gun. “I’m gonna get you out of here, Ryan.”

“I’m gonna be okay,” Ryan assured him. He seemed to be repeating it, almost like he needed to believe it himself. Jeremy leaned around the corner and fired a few shots at their enemies - one of them dropped to the ground hard, lifeless.

He heard Ryan hiss in pain next to him, and it was so hard not to look over at him. He needed to concentrate.

Jeremy fought his instincts to run back, and instead he advanced forwards. The building was quiet, but he was sure they were missing one more person-

He turned the corner, saw a startled guard, and fired. The man tumbled backwards from the force of the shots.

Jeremy didn’t have to think twice. He turned, sprinting back to Ryan’s side. He dropped to his knees next to him, one hand on his partner’s shoulder and the other at the radio on his chest.

“Ryan,” he gasped, “you’re gonna be okay.” Once the radio fizzed to life and he heard a response on the other end, he rushed to add, “Building is secure, we need immediate help, Ryan’s injured!”

“Jeremy,” Ryan breathed.

“I’m here, it’s okay.” Jeremy let both hands rest on him now, though he was reluctant to jostle him too much. Ryan’s hand was gripping his own thigh, and while he wanted to make sure there was enough pressure on the wound, Jeremy didn’t want to knock it away or hurt him. “Backup’s coming, Rye, you’re okay. You’re okay.”

* * *

It wasn’t until they were in the hospital that the guilt hit.

Once the backup arrived, the medics pounced on Ryan and whisked him straight to the helicopter. It wasn’t until they checked Jeremy over too that he realised he was also hurt - he’d managed to get a few cuts and scrapes from the barbed wire littered throughout the building, and as the adrenaline wore off, his body started to ache from the strain of the whole mission.

Not that he really cared. He just wanted to see Ryan, wanted to know that he was okay. He managed to wrestle his way onto the same helicopter back, but he lost sight of Ryan again once they reached the agency.

Jeremy was pulled away, forced to undergo treatment for his own injuries, but his mind was elsewhere.

Ryan had jumped after him because he was in trouble. He wouldn’t have been hurt if Jeremy had only warned him or been more careful.

He closed his eyes, hissing out a pained breath as one of the deeper cuts was checked over. It didn’t compare to the heaviness weighing down on his shoulders now, though.

Of course, Ryan would be okay now. The agency had some of the most talented medical professionals that they could get their hands on. Ryan was in the safest place he could be, and he’d come out of the other side just fine. Jeremy was certain that a scar would be the only thing left to remind Ryan of what had happened.

But it had still happened because of him.

He was left in the waiting room once he was bandaged up. Jeremy slumped down in one of the hard plastic chairs, ignoring how his stomach ached from hunger.

It wasn’t uncommon for pairs to end up here after a mission, but nobody liked it.

It didn’t matter that the doctors here had the world’s best tools at their fingertips - as far as Jeremy knew, not a single person had lost their life here, no matter how injured they were when they arrived. That didn’t make the waiting any easier, though. He sunk down in his seat, eyes closed tight as he breathed to try and ease how hard his heart was beating.

He could only relax when the door at the back of the room opened, and Ryan limped out. He was (reluctantly) supported by a crutch and one leg was gingerly raised above the ground, and a nurse hovered anxiously at his elbow.

Jeremy had to fight back the desire to rush at him.

Instead, he approached slowly, almost like he was worried Ryan would snap at him. Naturally, there was no such display of aggression, and he moved closer until he could lean in to tuck his face into Ryan’s neck. He felt him curl his free arm around Jeremy’s middle in return.

Neither of them said a word at first. Jeremy didn’t think he had anything to even say to the nurse. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that Jeremy actually remembered he was there.

“Haywood, you’re free to go home,” he said gently. “Make sure to rest up. Give your leg time to heal up with the work we did today, okay? Dooley?”

Jeremy started. “Yeah?”

“You’re going back with Haywood, right?”

He nodded. “Yup.” There was no discussion about that. Ryan didn’t try to argue; on the contrary, his grip around Jeremy’s waist grew a little tighter.

“Make sure he stays off his feet as much as possible,” the nurse said firmly. “He’ll heal up fine now as long as he takes it easy. Give it a week, and then both of you come back in, we’ll see how you’re both doing.”

Honestly, Jeremy had almost forgotten his own injuries in all of his worry. They seemed like mere scratches in comparison to what Ryan had suffered today - and God, it was still the same night. He didn’t have time to marvel at the implied leaps in modern medicine right now, even though he knew that they’d likely be mission ready again in just a couple of weeks.

He just wanted to go home.

The ride back in the car was a silent affair. Ryan had wrestled the crutch into the back and slumped down in the passenger seat without it, seemingly determined to use his own strength as much as possible. Jeremy hadn’t really expected him to keep using it.

When Jeremy parked outside of Ryan’s apartment building, he made to get out of the car, but a hand on his knee stopped him.

Ryan was watching him, brows drawn together in a worried frown. “Jeremy, wait.”

He closed the door again. The overhead light flicked off - it would have left them in the dark if it hadn’t been for a lone streetlamp outside. He was sure this looked odd to any passersby, but honestly, Jeremy wasn’t really thinking about them right now.

Instead, his chest felt tight with anxiety. This was it, his brain told him. Ryan knew he’d caused his injury, and he was about to… he didn’t know. Break up with him? Tell him to leave? Let him know he would be asking for a new partner?

Jeremy kind of wanted to throw up.

Ryan’s frown deepened. “Are you angry with me?”

Jeremy blinked. “What? No.”

His partner breathed a sigh of relief, but Jeremy could still see how tense he was, even in the dark. “Then what’s going on?”

Jeremy just continued to stare. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Ryan made a quiet, frustrated noise. “You haven’t spoken to me at all since we got back. You’ve barely even _looked_ at me. What’s wrong, Jeremy?”

He sunk down in his seat a little, averting his gaze. Of course Ryan could tell something was up. Jeremy ran a hand over his head, eyes closed as he let out a heavy breath. He didn’t really want to have this conversation. He just sort of wanted to go to bed, but he knew Ryan wouldn’t let this go now he was onto something.

Jeremy swallowed hard. “It’s my fault.”

He saw Ryan move out of the corner of his eye, shifting in his seat, leaning forwards as if to correct him, so Jeremy barrelled on. “It’s my fault you got shot, you wouldn’t have jumped after me if I’d been smarter, or if I’d warned you about the bomb, or-”

His hands were shaking. Jeremy balled them into fists in his lap.

“I almost got you killed,” he muttered. “I- you almost fucking _died_ because of me.”

“Jeremy,” Ryan murmured. He dragged his eyes back up to Ryan’s face, and he found his partner with a softer, kinder look on his features. “It wasn’t your fault at all. You know that’s just how things go sometimes. I was just really unlucky. I’m _alive_ because of you. You finished things up and got us out of there.”

It was hard to accept that when he’d been digesting this guilt for the past… God, Jeremy didn’t even know how many hours it had been. He just leaned in closer, his forehead dropping to Ryan’s shoulder with a quiet thump.

There was no point in arguing. He figured he’d probably still carry this guilt with him until Ryan was all good, but he knew Ryan wouldn’t agree with it.

“I was so fucking scared,” Jeremy whispered.

“I know,” Ryan murmured. His arm settled around Jeremy’s shoulders, squeezing him close. “But I’m okay. Come on,” he added, drawing away with a kiss to the top of Jeremy’s head, “let’s go inside.”

Jeremy reluctantly peeled himself away from Ryan so he could get out. More than anything, he wanted to stay pressed close to Ryan now, and maybe he could ignore his own brain for a while. It hurt just to see Ryan supporting his weight on the crutch again, that familiar guilt seeping back in again despite Ryan’s best efforts. The elevator ride up to Ryan’s roomy apartment was made in silence, though Jeremy appreciated Ryan’s free hand taking his own.

Once they were safely inside, Ryan gave a heavy sigh. He looked exhausted, even though it had to be early morning by now.

“Can we just go to bed?” he asked.

“Bed sounds good,” Jeremy agreed. It’d be warm and comfortable, and maybe he could finally let his mind rest once they were there.

It felt like a trek to get to the bedroom, but it was a relief to finally be home. Ryan, to his credit, didn’t immediately flop down on the mattress; he carefully set himself down on the edge before he tossed the crutch to the floor. Next went his shirt, just as carelessly thrown to the side, and then he dropped his hands to his belt.

“Woah, take it easy,” Jeremy said, moving forwards. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Ryan assured him. He wiggled out of the rest of his clothes, and then he finally sprawled back on the bed with a content noise. Jeremy tried to keep his gaze from lingering on his bandaged thigh.

Ryan pulled himself further up the bed, and he finally settled back against the pillows. Once he’d shifted a little to get comfortable, he gestured towards his lap. “Come here?”

“Your leg-”

“Will be fine,” Ryan interrupted. He’d seemed so… _collected_ since they’d left work, so sure of where he stood, but now Jeremy could see little cracks in the armour. There was a quiet desperation to the way Ryan murmured, “Jeremy, please?”

Words failed him, so Jeremy just nodded. He stripped down, and then he carefully climbed up onto the bed so he could straddle Ryan’s thighs - he made sure to hold his own weight on his knees, and put none of it on his boyfriend. The last thing Jeremy wanted to do was bump his injury.

Ryan’s warm hands settled on his hips, and Jeremy felt some of the weight lift off his shoulders.

Ryan was okay. He was here.

He was _safe_.

His own palms settled against Ryan’s shoulders, sweeping across them just to touch, to reassure himself that this was all real. They were at home, and Ryan was on the mend.

“Stop being so cautious,” Ryan added. He gently squeezed Jeremy’s hips to draw his attention back to the here and now. “I won’t break.”

Rather than answer, Jeremy kissed him. Ryan seemed to be satisfied with that as a reply anyway.

It started off slow and sweet. Jeremy’s touch was still gentle and exploratory - it was such a contrast to how they’d touched each other over the past month - but Ryan didn’t protest. Jeremy was grateful for that; he didn’t think a firm grip suited the mood right now anyway. Even when Ryan’s kiss hardened, became a touch more desperate, Jeremy couldn’t bring himself to hold him as tight as he usually would.

Ryan didn’t seem to mind, despite his earlier protests. He pulled Jeremy closer as the kiss deepened, though Jeremy was careful to keep his balance on his knees, even though he ached to press himself against Ryan from head to toe.

He wasn’t sure what Ryan’s goal was here, but the kiss was, inevitably, getting to him. There was a low burn of heat in his stomach, and Jeremy couldn’t stop himself from pressing harder into the kiss in a silent plea for more.

It turned out that that was exactly what Ryan was hoping for.

Without breaking the kiss, one of Ryan’s hands dipped between them to take Jeremy’s length loosely in hand. A ragged groan tore out of Jeremy’s throat at the first touch; it was light, almost teasing, but exactly what they needed.

Jeremy finally had to pull away from Ryan’s mouth, turning his head to the side to pant. He wasn’t surprised when he felt Ryan attach himself to his exposed throat instead, but it still made his breathing stutter. If this were any other time, Jeremy would already be eagerly pawing at Ryan’s shoulders, begging him breathlessly for more, but…

He shook off his hesitancy. Clearly, Ryan wanted a taste of normalcy, so Jeremy would give it to him.

Clumsily, he reached for the bedside table. Ryan’s touch shifted back to his hip to keep him from toppling over - and, admittedly, Jeremy was grateful that the distraction of a hand on his dick went away for a moment. When he came back, he had a bottle of lube in hand.

Ryan eyed it curiously. Jeremy was more distracted by the sight of his red, swollen lips.

“What are you planning?” Ryan asked.

Jeremy felt his cheeks burn, though he hoped that the flush that was already there covered it up. “I- Thought it would help? And if you want to and you’re feeling up to it…”

Understanding washed over Ryan’s face. He drew Jeremy in for another kiss, this one shorter and sweeter. “I’m up for anything,” he murmured against his lips. He paused, then added, “Though I think staying like this is probably the easiest option.”

“Yeah, I figured that.” Jeremy shifted, spreading his knees a little further. “I could ride you, if you want?”

Ryan swallowed. Despite how careful they were being by planning it beforehand, it seemed like the image of Jeremy on top of him was still just as enticing to Ryan. Jeremy had to bite the inside of his cheek so he didn’t laugh.

Jeremy gave him the lube when he reached for it. He’d considered doing a little more foreplay, maybe slicking up Ryan’s length with it to give him some attention in return, but if Ryan wanted to get down to business then Jeremy certainly wasn’t about to stop him. He leaned in closer to his boyfriend, palms braced on his shoulders as Ryan’s hands wandered.

The first touch of his finger was cold, and Jeremy jumped a little. Ryan murmured an apology as he rubbed his hip, and Jeremy settled again, more prepared to ignore the temperature this time.

Like everything else so far, progression here was slow. Ryan took his time opening Jeremy up, one arm hugging him to his chest while the other was tucked between his thighs. Jeremy made quiet sounds into his shoulder as he carefully rocked back onto Ryan’s fingers, encouraging him to do more.

Admittedly, Jeremy was glad for the thorough preparation when he finally sank down onto Ryan’s cock. There was no burn, but he still felt the stretch of it as he lowered himself. Jeremy tipped his head back, and he took a deep, whimpering breath as he finally settled with Ryan buried to the hilt.

When he finally opened his eyes again to look at Ryan, his boyfriend seemed so blissful. Jeremy gave a tentative roll of his hips, and Ryan’s moan was low and deep. The sound made Jeremy shiver.

The desperation from earlier had died away. Jeremy wondered if Ryan too had wanted some kind of proof that he was still fine, something physical to hold onto - maybe now they were here, it had reassured him. It didn’t make Ryan any less attentive, though; Jeremy arched into his sweeping touches as they roamed over his ass, his hips, and he encouraged Ryan with a loud moan when he started to stroke Jeremy’s cock again.

Everything about it was leisurely, luxuriously slow. It was such a stark contrast to their sex life leading up to this point. Until now, it had been a lot more of an eager clash as they came together, all grabbing hands and roughness as they worked out the desire that had built up to their first time together.

This was different. There was already plenty of affection in their relationship, but Jeremy could feel the strength of Ryan’s feelings coming off of him in waves.

The intensity of it drove Jeremy higher, his fingers digging into Ryan’s shoulders as he worked harder. Ryan groaned again, the rumbling sound vibrating under Jeremy’s fingertips.

He shuddered as his orgasm washed over him without much fanfare. Jeremy gasped, breath caught in his throat as he came over Ryan’s fingers, and it was only moments later when he felt Ryan’s hips stutter and then a rush of heat as his boyfriend followed him over the edge.

They sat together, breathing heavily, until Jeremy forced himself to get to his feet. He wobbled, but he steadied himself on the bedside table, and he made his way to the bathroom to get a rag to clean them up. When it was all done, it was a relief to sink back into bed beside Ryan; he truly felt the strain of the night now, his body aching from work and now this.

“I feel like I could sleep for a fucking year,” Jeremy groaned, turning to curl up against Ryan’s side. “Fuck.”

Ryan laughed quietly. He’d managed to climb under the covers without much trouble, and it looked like he was properly settled in for the night now. Jeremy didn’t blame him. He was probably exhausted too even though he’d already spent some time out of it tonight.

“Luckily, we don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow,” Ryan reminded him. Jeremy hummed happily when Ryan’s arm laid along his back, keeping him close. “And we know now we can still have sex like this, so that’s a bonus.”

His words had a tired laugh bubbling up in Jeremy’s chest. “Sure, because that was the most important thing.”

Ryan pressed a kiss to his head. Jeremy was pretty sure he could feel him smiling.

“It was. That, and making sure you knew I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Those quiet, murmured words soothed him more than he thought Ryan realised. Jeremy swallowed hard so there was no hitching breath to betray him, and he pillowed his head on Ryan’s chest as he basked in the affection.

Ryan wasn’t going anywhere. He was still here, and he didn’t blame Jeremy for anything. It would take time to come to terms with that himself, but he knew Ryan wouldn’t let him wallow in it.

They were still a solid team. Nothing had broken them apart yet, and Jeremy didn’t think anything could.


End file.
